You might never expect a technology teacher to be as interested in Disney as Joanne D’Agostino. D’Agostino can imagine herself living in Disney World, but back in high school, she never imagined herself to be where she is today.
“I’m a Disney fanatic,” she said, “My dream is to live on Main Street in Disney.”
Coming from a family of engineers, D’Agostino always wanted to do something different than the rest of her family.
“Throughout my high school career, I told my family I would never become an engineer,” she said.
However, when senior year of high school came, D’Agostino was still unsure of what to do with her life. She knew that she was good at math and science, so she reluctantly decided to follow in the footsteps of her family members.
D’Agostino became a test development engineer for three different companies, where she tested the functionality of printed circuit boards. She got into teaching when her dad, a professor of thirty one years at Wentworth Institute of Technology, suggested working as an adjunct there.
“Working with my dad at Wentworth was the best three years because I learned so much from him,” D’Agostino said.
When she left Wentworth, D’Agostino knew she still wanted to continue with teaching. After she received her Master’s degree, D’Agostino taught at Marlboro High School for six years. She then came to Walpole High, where she now teaches technology, robotics, and engineering classes.
“They have such an amazing program,” she said.
D’Agostino admits there are few girls who take classes in the technology field, and she said things were not much different when she was in high school.
“I remember when I was going to school, and I was always one of two or the only girl in my technology class,” D’Agostino said.
The new technology teacher’s main goal is to show other girls that they can work effectively in technology and engineering.
“[It is] kind of cool to show other girls that you do have a brain for this kind of stuff,” she said.
“I like her as a teacher. She’s really nice and helpful, and she is always walking around the room to make sure everyone is doing their work and to answer any questions,” sophomore Rachel Bagley said.
Two months into her job, D’Agostino has already created a comfortable environment for her female students.
“I think people associate all of the tech classes with boys,” Bagley said, “but the girls in my class fit in as well as anyone else.”
In addition to teaching technology and engineering classes, D’Agostino is also a wife and mother of two kids, and she loves spending time with her family.
“We do a lot of camping over the summer,” D’Agostino said. “And my oldest daughter and I, we do a lot of scrapbooking.”
Although D’Agostino did not end up on Main Street in Disney, she has shown true qualities of a Disney princess by empowering young girls to feel confident in their interests despite the male-dominated technology field.
